Strike, Community

Local communities, business owners, and residents outside the mining company payrolls were torn by the conflict. On one hand, the copper companies were the foundation of a stable local economy. On the other, miners and their families spent their hard earned wages at local businesses and were vital parts of church, school, and civic organizations. The community-based Citizens Alliance spoke loudly in support of the companies, Houghton’s newspaper, The Daily Mining Gazette, decried the corrupt influence of union organizers, while The Detroit Free Press reported that Copper Country women were “the heart and soul” of the strike. It was a complex and conflicting time for all involved.